A top UN Special Representative in Afghanistan urged the Taliban to respect women's rights to work and study during a meeting with Afghan female activists in Kabul on Thursday.
The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), Mette Knudsen, also expressed grave concern that Afghanistan's economic crisis is likely to deepen if basic human rights are not protected.
"UNAMA Dep-Head Mette Knudsen met in Kabul today with women activists. Grave concern that Afghanistan's economic crisis likely to deepen if basic human rights aren't protected. Women must be able to return to workplaces and girls to school. Action needed to protect rights of all Afghans," the mission wrote on Twitter.
This comes a few days after United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) expressed concern over a rise in what it termed "grave child rights violations" in Afghanistan and said children must not pay for this conflict with their childhood.
Soon after assuming power in Afghanistan in August, the Taliban pledged to defend the rights of women within the Islamic set of norms and to develop rules to enable women to study and work. However, the reports coming from the ground are contradicting the outfit's claim.
( With inputs from ANI )
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